Attorney was passionate about life

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - A small plane went down near Cleveland killing two prominent Buffalo attorneys.

Witnesses say the pilot gave his own life to save people on the ground.

Michael Doran was an experienced attorney who was passionate about life.

Matthew Schnirel was a rising star in the legal profession who purchased his first home last week.

Doran and Schnirel were killed on Tuesday when the plane Doran was flying crashed in a heavily wooded area outside of Cleveland.

Vince Busa said, "I was sitting in my car right here and I saw the plane swoop over the tops of the house and so a left turn and nosedive into the woods."

Michael Doran was a partner in the law firm Doran and Murphy.

Chris Murphy talked about his friend and colleague, who was always on the go, "I think that's one of the reasons he had a plane he was going from point A, squeezing it all in somehow."

26-year-old Matthew Schnirel has been with the firm since he was a law clerk. Chris knew immediately he would make a great attorney.

Murphy said, "Even in his short career, he was building a fabulous reputation for himself."

Chris says the two were in Cleveland to work on a case that was set for trial next week.

They also represented a family from the 3407 disaster, along with the law firm Kreindler and Kreindler.

Daniel Rose said Mike was an experienced and capable pilot and has questions about what happened on Tuesday, "It certainly leads me to believe that something went wrong with the aircraft that needs to be considered."

Witnesses of the crash believe that the pilot's last action was a selfless one, avoiding the houses just a few hundred feet away.